Book Review: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

Hello all my lovely readers! I’ve been getting into reading books a lot more since the pandemic. I’ve been spending a lot of time at home and I find reading books is a great way to escape the online world. I was a really avid reader when I was in school and it just sort of fizzled out.

I purchased Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton months ago but have just finished it recently. Dolly Alderton is a British journalist and author and this book is her first book and a memoir.

When it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming an adult, journalist and former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In her memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, finding a job, getting drunk, getting dumped, realizing that Ivan from the corner shop might just be the only reliable man in her life, and that absolutely no one can ever compare to her best girlfriends. Everything I Know About Love is about bad dates, good friends and—above all else— realizing that you are enough.

I’ve read some mixed reviews about this book but in the end I really enjoyed it.

Dolly Alderton definitely grew up in a privileged household. Raised in North London and attended boarding school, Dolly Alderton experiences teenage angst and young adult rebellion at its finest.

There were some really funny anecdotes scattered in this book. I found some of them really absurd yet honest (I went to a uni in the UK for a semester and trust me I saw and did some wacky shit). I will say there are a lot of references to drugs, alcohol and promiscuity earlier on which I guess can irritate people. At first I was annoyed too because i didn’t like how it was glamorised (drugs are not cool kids) but I later related to a lot of Dolly’s early adulthood – as depressing as it sounds. It reminded me a lot of my early adulthood and flaws.

The latter half of the book focuses more on dating and this is something that I strongly can relate to. Single female here. Dolly navigates feelings of loss, anxiety and heartache when it comes to finding love and being successful in life. I mentioned reading this book in my post, ‘Why Buying a Wellness Journal/Planner in 2021 will Transform Your Life’ about how a part of the book really struck a chord with me.

It was when Dolly was going to New York for a wedding but her friend, Farly, can’t make it. She realises that weddings aren’t just for single ladies on the prowl but rather a celebration of people getting together. Her character comes across a bit self-indulgent in the beginning but I really liked know she was able to recognise her behaviour and make some positive changes. We love self-growth.

Whilst excited about New York and her holiday, Dolly ends up having a really miserable time in the city that never sleeps. That’s when she comes to the realisation that moving to a new place won’t help her situation (she’s stuck in a rut – Amazon and Tottenham Court Road anyone who’s read the book) because she is the problem and she needs to work on herself. The girl has some big flaws and a bigger drinking problem. However, I could relate to this a lot and I definitely think the book headed for a deeper and more insightful turn which I pleasantly enjoyed. I feel as Dolly got older, she got to understand herself better and in turn, we began to warm up to her.

She also has such a strong tight knit friendship group and I really enjoyed the girlhood. Farly, Dolly’s best friend, is an actual doll and is definitely the glue that is able to hold Dolly together and she is mentioned heavily in this book.

Whilst the book didn’t teach me that much about love, it taught me the importance of good friendship and company and the ups and downs of life. I found the book really conversational and easy to read. Dolly includes snippets of emails that I found funny to read and recipes (although I found the recipes added no value to the book but I can see what she was trying to go for- like Pancakes for Singles vibe).

This book is also written in a British way- there are a lot of British references so if you’re not English or live or know London very well, you may struggle and the references will be lost on you.

Whilst I really enjoyed this book, this certainly wasn’t the most original. However, this style of writing and content is right up my alley but I understand it isn’t for everyone.

After reading this, I picked up Ghosts by Dolly Alderton immediately after which I can’t wait to read soon.

If you’ve read this book, what did you think of it?